James Gurney’s environmental portraits of Jurassic inhabitants are amazing examples of paleo-art. Here’s a gouache study based on his “T.Rex/Watering Hole” piece from Dinotopia. Seeing him speak about his methods is a treat too—he built makeshift structures to get the right angles for his models (as if they were atop a saurapod).
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A Rough Rex after Gurney
More memorable than class notes
In a decades-old notebook, I found this small sketch of Mr. Disotell, an elementary school science teacher. Sketches of teachers and professors will likely be much more memorable to the artist than any of the notes you take in their classes; plus they make great models since you see them from many angles on a daily basis.
Bored on a plane?
Make amoebas from the dredges of your tea cup!
@ an advanced age…
It takes only a few marks to add decades to an invented character. Crows feet, heavier lids, skin irregularities can be convincing. The low angle cell phone pic adds some extra drama.
Stationary subjects
Sketching from life size sculpts is great practice. Only the light moves. Look for typical exaggerations in anatomy (extremely large hands, heads) that the sculptor uses to make the subject look more dramatic.
Scribbling, a gateway to character concepting
I find it challenging to loosen up my style for character invention. Drawing small, random shapes with a light Copic brush pen often helps. In this case, I happened to be sharpening a Colo-Erase, and spotted a shape that resembled a sort of swirling feline genii. I added a little push in Photoshop to bring out some dimension.
Jekyll-Hyde, A Strange Sketch
Fun imagining the transition from Dr. J. to Mr H.
Can you watch the transition without staring into his eyes?
Not So Spiny; Terrifying Nonetheless
Spinosaurus was one fascinating predator. Only recently discovered, and estimated at up to 18m long! What were the spines for; did they act as a sail, store fat, mating display, or heat dissipation?
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